2018 Mercedes-Benz GLC problems, complaints & recalls
NHTSA has received 99 owner complaints about the 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLC, or 11.3 per year on the road — far fewer complaints than typical (complaint index 0.28, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 76 model-year 2018 vehicles we track, it ranks #19 of 76 by complaints per year (#1 = fewest). Against other Mercedes-Benz models its rate is 15% higher; against other Luxury SUVs it is 20% lower.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Complaints filed between 2018-02-02 and 2026-07-30. Median delay from incident to filing: 7 days.
Analysis
The following model year (2019) drew 8.9 per year, fewer than this one. In its first two years on the road the 2018 model collected 20 complaints, 77% lower than the average vehicle of the same model year.
The most common problem area is Engine (32.3% of complaints), followed by Unspecified or other (16.2%) and Airbags & seat belts (13.1%). 6 reports (6.1%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 4 injuries and 0 deaths.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 64 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was after five years (61% of incidents). 9 complaints were filed in the last 12 months.
NHTSA lists no safety recalls for this model year. 3 NHTSA investigations cover this model year; the most recent is “Pedestrian alert sounds” (defect petition, opened 2023-01-27, closed 2023-08-07).
Complaint index
- vs. all tracked vehicles0.28
- vs. other Mercedes-Benz models1.15
- vs. other 2018 models0.24
- vs. other Luxury SUVs0.8
- Complaints in first 2 years on the road · vs. same-year average (20)0.23
- #19 of 76 · 2018Rankings ›
1.00 means the same rate as the comparison group. 2.00 means twice as many complaints per year on the road.
What owners complain about
vs. all vehicles: 1.00 = All-vehicle average
Problem areas: Engine · Electrical · Unspecified or other · Body & structure
When complaints were filed
- Crashes reported: 5
- Fires reported: 1
- Injuries: 4
- Deaths: 0
Vehicle age at incident
Median age at incident: 64 months
What owners report
I was backing out of my driveway and was putting the car in Drive when the airbag located in my steering wheel deployed without a reason. The car has not been inspected by anyone as of today.
I hydroplaned when driving in rainy weather and slid across freeway. Apparently break assist activated and automatically applied break. The car spun around and hit concrete barrier and then slid again across the freeway.
Error code P052E71 on a 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 4MATIC means the Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) Regulator Valve Performance has a malfunction, specifically that the partial-load ventilation valve actuator is blocked.
Component Failure: The vehicle is equipped with the M274 2.0L turbocharged engine, which suffered a major internal mechanical defect.
Safety Issue: Infotainment display screen produces scrambled pixels during Apple CarPlay navigation while driving. Description: When Apple CarPlay is connected and navigation is in use, the vehicle's infotainment display screen suddenly produces scrambled…
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Segment peers · 2018 · Luxury SUVs
| Models | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 Lexus NX | 26 | 3.0 | 0.07 |
| 2018 Lexus RX | 47 | 5.3 | 0.13 |
| 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLE | 56 | 6.4 | 0.16 |
| 2018 BMW X5 | 72 | 8.2 | 0.2 |
| 2018 BMW X3 | 76 | 8.6 | 0.21 |
| 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLC | 99 | 11.3 | 0.28 |
| 2018 Audi Q7 | 143 | 16.3 | 0.4 |
| 2018 Acura MDX | 170 | 19.3 | 0.48 |
| 2018 Audi Q5 | 207 | 23.6 | 0.58 |
Safety recalls (0)
No recalls on record for this model year.
Investigations
- Pedestrian alert sounds Closed
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and ele…
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture Open
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupt…
- Front Roof Panel Detachment Closed
On January 8, 2021, after ongoing review with Mercedes Benz, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE21-001 to assess allegations of front roof panel detachments while driving at highway speeds in certain 2015 Mercedes-Benz (Mercedes) C-Class vehicles.The subject front roof panel is a stationary panel composed of polycarbonate and i…